SENZO HAUNTS TOP COPS
SAPS kicks out Hawks from probe
HAWKS and the South African Police Service (SAPS) are said to be at each other’s throats over the murder case of slain Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa.
We are made to believe that the SAPS have since elbowed out members of the elite crime-fighting unit from Meyiwa’s case without any explanation.
The Hawks were working on the case and making significant progress. When the SAPS handed over the case to the Hawks, we formulated a team that consisted of detectives from the SAPS and the Hawks but, all of a sudden, the Hawks were removed from the case,” said a top-placed source within the Hawks.
Sunday World understands that the docket was requested from Gauteng Hawks boss MajorGeneral Prince Mokotedi by MajorGeneral Kotsi Nkomo, who is the SAPS s divisional commissioner of detective services in Pretoria. During the investigation, there was a lot of evidence we gathered that the police have missed. We even had potential witnesses who were going to help us find the perpetrators but, all of sudden, the Hawks were removed from the case.” However, Acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane rubbished the claims as misleading. Bottom line is, the docket was registered at the police station. It has never been moved around,” said Phahlane.
He admitted that a joint Hawks and SAPS special team had been formed to work on Meyiwa’s case.
We formed a multi-disciplinary team from the Hawks and the SAPS to work on the case, all the information you were provided with is just fiction,” said Phahlane.
Phahlane also refused to comment on the progress of the case, saying the matter is still under investigation and it will not be discussed with the public”.
In March this year, the elite crime-fighting unit reconstructed the scene of Meyiwa’s shooting, assisted by the people who were present during the shooting at songbird Kelly Khumalo’s family home in Vosloorus, on the East Rand.
The Hawks’ top official also said that during the investigation, the team of detectives also learned that Senzo was caught in the crossfire.
Meyiwa was at the wrong place at the wrong time. We discovered that it was not a hit. But we can’t make any move further as the SAPS have removed the unit from the case.”
Sunday World spoke to Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi, who directed all inquiries to the SAPS. All questions concerning the case should be directed to the office of the acting national police commissioner, said Mulaudzi.